Monmouth County Acting Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni will be deployed to Afghanistan in August for nine months. Ashley Peskoe/NJ.com

FREEHOLD – Monmouth County’s top law enforcement official will be heading to Afghanistan to serve as officer in charge of detainee operations at a detention facility for nine months.

Acting Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said he has served in the Navy since 1997, on active duty for five years, and has since been in the Naval Reserve, commissioned as a lieutenant commander. He said his rank, skillset and security clearance level put him in the crosshairs for being selected.

“I have come to embrace this. This is something I’ve always wanted to do. The timing’s not perfect, but when I look back after 20 to 25 years in the Navy when I retire there’s going to be a line in history about this war, and I want to be able to say that I played a role in it, even if my role pales in comparison to other soldiers and sailors over there,” he said.

In Afghanistan he will work with the developing criminal justice system, reviewing cases of detainees who come in, oversee the criminal process, be a legal advisor and handle detainee operations.

Gramiccioni said he would remain as acting prosecutor while deployed, keeping in touch on a regular basis with his office. He said he should have good communication capability where he will be stationed and said he has confidence in his office.

“The best testament to your organization is when I can remove myself from the equation and know that the thing is going to run seamlessly, even if I’m there or not. And I can say that about my people here. They’ll get it done because they’re dedicated, they’re experienced and they’re mission-oriented,” Gramiccioni said. “I’ll be able to make macro, larger-level decisions, as needed. But even though I’ll be 7,000 miles away, I’ll still have a voice.”

He said his office and the Freeholders know about the deployment.

“I’ve got a fantastic front office,” he said. “They’re going to run the day-to-day operations of the office and I’ll still be in regular communications with them.”

Gramiccioni said he got the news in January from his commanding officer while driving to a parent-teacher conference and received the formal orders about two weeks ago.

“I almost drove off the road,” he said. “I knew that this was happening, but when it happens to you, it’s still a surprise.”

He said his wife has been nothing but supportive of the news.

“I’m almost excited and I really take the responsibility seriously because I grew up this way,” he said.

Gramiccioni’s father was in special operations in the Army and retired as a colonel.